As the military explores budget cuts while waging two wars, past base closures led to everything from enemy propaganda to delightful attractions for the upscale traveler.By Sean Cunningham

Vieques (Puerto Rico)

Vieques (Puerto Rico)

What Is It Now? A snazzy island retreat.

How That Happened: A tropical island surrounded by gorgeous beaches is great for getting bombed... on Mai Tai's. The U.S. Navy finally stopped using this tiny isle as a training ground in 2003, then after a controversy over unexploded munitions, much of the Navy's territory was converted to fish and wildlife reserves, meaning the only patrols roving Vieques nowadays are ubiquitous wild horses. With the most powerful military on Earth gone, something was needed to fill the void, and the Starwood Hotels' chain of boutique vacationing digs, The W Hotel, was ready to roll: their airport lounge is the first thing you encounter upon reaching the island.

The Valley of Death (Afghanistan)

The Valley of Death (Afghanistan)

What Is It Now? A Taliban clubhouse.

How That Happened: The U.S. spent five brutal years from 2005 on defending this mountaintop in an Afghani valley, during which it acquired its nickname for the 42 soldiers killed. Colonel Wayne Shanks said the decision to leave in April 2010 "was the correct one based on the resources that we have available" and it was destroyed before American forces departed to eliminate much of its strategic value, but the Taliban still got a kick out of giving interviews broadcast on Al-Jazeera from there.